Routtens Skate Way To Stardom

When Robert Routten buys his two teen-age daughters roller skates, he doesn't dig into his wallet for a few dollars. He must reach into his bank account.

A pair of roller skates: $625.

But Blake and Amber Routten have made good use of their skates.

Last week the Windmill Point Road residents competed in the U.S. championships in Fort Worth, Texas - again!

The Kecoughtan High School students each qualified among the top three in the nine-state Southeastern Region championships to earn their places in the nationals.

Blake, 17, a senior, competed in the Junior Ladies Singles. She was in Lincoln, Neb., last year and finished sixth. Both times, she has been entered in the freestyle competition.

Amber, 15, a sophomore, won the Freshman Ladies Singles at the regional level before competing in Fort Worth. She skated in the Elementary Pairs division at the national championships in Indianapolis in 1986 and was in the Elementary Figures competition in Lincoln in 1987.

"Right before I skated, we got lost," says Blake, who finished 16th. "You had to be there an hour before you skated, so it was pretty nerve-wracking. I had to get dressed in the car, and I was the first in my division to skate."

Amber was 18th in her competition.

"It was actually a little harder than I thought," she admits. "I thought if you made one mistake, you could make the cut (top seven skaters)."

In addition to their skating practice with Coach Nickie Nolte at the Plaza Skating Rink on Pembroke Avenue, the girls work out at Marty's Gym.

"We try to go every morning, except Sunday," Blake says. "We work out 45 minutes to an hour, mainly not to gain weight and build endurance for skating.

"My dad started out first. I liked the way he looked when he came home, all energetic. Then I started it, and then my sister. Ever since, I"ve felt a difference in my skating."

"Our friend down the street, Jennifer Emerson, had gone to a session and said it was fun," Amber recalls. "She had a (skating) party and invited us. It was a lot of fun and we begged our parents to let us take lessons."

What happened next was a transformation by an entire family.

"I have my job and their daddy has his job," says the girls' mother, Barbara Routten. "It takes a lot of family effort, making our schedules coincide."

Barbara is chief creator of the girls' outfits.

"She has spent something like $800 on them," Blake says.

Skating is not the only sport that interests the Routtens. They were both second-team all-Peninsula District softball players at Kecoughtan. Blake plays left field, Amber, first baseman.